Billing code 88314: Histochemical stainMedicare rate & RVUs
Reports a Group III histochemical stain performed on tissue when the pathologist needs additional microscopic information beyond routine staining.
Medicare pays $81.83 for 88314 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $72.02–$112.21.
Medicare rate · 88314
Histochemical stain
- Work RVUs
- 0.44
- Total RVUs
- 2.45
- Global days
- XXX
National rate · 2026
$81.83
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 88314 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 10 sections
What 88314 covers
A Group III histochemical stain is an additional tissue preparation used to bring out features that help a pathologist evaluate a biopsy or other surgical specimen. Laboratory histotechnologists perform the staining, and a pathologist interprets the result in the context of the specimen and issues the diagnostic report. The stain may be used when routine hematoxylin-and-eosin sections leave a specific tissue characteristic unclear; the stain must fall within the billing code Group III classification.
Report 88314 for each applicable stain, with documentation identifying the stain, the tissue examined, and the diagnostic reason for using it. It is an add-on to the pathology service, not a substitute for the primary examination of the specimen. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the laboratory work, and no modifier reports the global service. CMS separately prices both component modifiers.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 88314 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$72.02 to $112.21
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $73.13 | Unavailable |
| Alaska* | $93.03 | Unavailable |
| Arizona | $79.64 | Unavailable |
| Arkansas | $72.02 | Unavailable |
| Atlanta | $83.14 | Unavailable |
| Austin | $85.58 | Unavailable |
| Bakersfield | $88.07 | Unavailable |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | $87.13 | Unavailable |
| Beaumont | $75.81 | Unavailable |
| Brazoria | $81.13 | Unavailable |
| Chicago | $83.56 | Unavailable |
| Chico | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| Colorado | $86.02 | Unavailable |
| Connecticut | $87.43 | Unavailable |
| Dallas | $81.56 | Unavailable |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | $94.51 | Unavailable |
| Delaware | $81.01 | Unavailable |
| Detroit | $80.20 | Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | $77.56 | Unavailable |
| El Centro | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| Fort Lauderdale | $83.50 | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | $80.91 | Unavailable |
| Fresno | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| Galveston | $81.31 | Unavailable |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| Hawaii, Guam | $90.47 | Unavailable |
| Houston | $81.86 | Unavailable |
| Idaho | $76.01 | Unavailable |
| Indiana | $76.49 | Unavailable |
| Iowa | $75.61 | Unavailable |
| Kansas | $74.99 | Unavailable |
| Kentucky | $74.41 | Unavailable |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | $94.20 | Unavailable |
| Madera | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| Manhattan | $94.07 | Unavailable |
| Merced | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Boston | $95.15 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | $77.77 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | $85.00 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | $78.66 | Unavailable |
| Miami | $86.08 | Unavailable |
| Minnesota | $83.04 | Unavailable |
| Mississippi | $72.38 | Unavailable |
| Modesto | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| Montana** | $81.83 | Unavailable |
| Napa | $103.30 | Unavailable |
| Nebraska | $76.12 | Unavailable |
| Nevada** | $81.73 | Unavailable |
| New Hampshire | $84.42 | Unavailable |
| New Mexico | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| New Orleans | $78.07 | Unavailable |
| North Carolina | $77.04 | Unavailable |
| North Dakota** | $81.24 | Unavailable |
| Northern Nj | $93.41 | Unavailable |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | $96.13 | Unavailable |
| Ohio | $76.09 | Unavailable |
| Oklahoma | $74.53 | Unavailable |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $93.90 | Unavailable |
| Portland | $89.15 | Unavailable |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | $88.99 | Unavailable |
| Puerto Rico | $82.54 | Unavailable |
| Queens | $95.25 | Unavailable |
| Redding | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of California | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Florida | $79.43 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Georgia | $74.88 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | $76.64 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Louisiana | $74.18 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maine | $76.16 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maryland | $82.69 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | $85.37 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Michigan | $76.21 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Missouri | $72.68 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of New Jersey | $88.60 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of New York | $78.23 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | $81.27 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | $76.35 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | $78.36 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Washington | $85.29 | Unavailable |
| Rhode Island | $84.19 | Unavailable |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $88.30 | Unavailable |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $92.68 | Unavailable |
| Salinas | $92.34 | Unavailable |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $94.78 | Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | $109.80 | Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | $109.77 | Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | $112.21 | Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | $112.08 | Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $90.81 | Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $95.89 | Unavailable |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $92.76 | Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $96.89 | Unavailable |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $97.40 | Unavailable |
| South Carolina | $76.66 | Unavailable |
| South Dakota** | $81.17 | Unavailable |
| Southern Maine | $80.87 | Unavailable |
| Stockton | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | $84.49 | Unavailable |
| Tennessee | $75.35 | Unavailable |
| Utah | $77.76 | Unavailable |
| Vallejo | $103.25 | Unavailable |
| Vermont | $80.68 | Unavailable |
| Virgin Islands | $82.54 | Unavailable |
| Virginia | $80.41 | Unavailable |
| Visalia | $87.97 | Unavailable |
| West Virginia | $73.60 | Unavailable |
| Wisconsin | $78.36 | Unavailable |
| Wyoming** | $81.57 | Unavailable |
| Yuba City | $87.97 | Unavailable |
88314 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
Explore a state
Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$72.02
$100.09
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $93.03 | 1 |
| AL | $73.13 | 1 |
| AR | $72.02 | 1 |
| AZ | $79.64 | 1 |
| CA | $87.97–$112.21 | 29 |
| CO | $86.02 | 1 |
| CT | $87.43 | 1 |
| DC | $94.51 | 1 |
| DE | $81.01 | 1 |
| FL | $79.43–$86.08 | 3 |
| GA | $74.88–$83.14 | 2 |
| GU | $90.47 | 1 |
| HI | $90.47 | 1 |
| IA | $75.61 | 1 |
| ID | $76.01 | 1 |
| IL | $76.64–$84.49 | 4 |
| IN | $76.49 | 1 |
| KS | $74.99 | 1 |
| KY | $74.41 | 1 |
| LA | $74.18–$78.07 | 2 |
| MA | $85.37–$95.15 | 2 |
| MD | $82.69–$94.51 | 3 |
| ME | $76.16–$80.87 | 2 |
| MI | $76.21–$80.20 | 2 |
| MN | $83.04 | 1 |
| MO | $72.68–$78.66 | 3 |
| MS | $72.38 | 1 |
| MT | $81.83 | 1 |
| NC | $77.04 | 1 |
| ND | $81.24 | 1 |
| NE | $76.12 | 1 |
| NH | $84.42 | 1 |
| NJ | $88.60–$93.41 | 2 |
| NM | $76.54 | 1 |
| NV | $81.73 | 1 |
| NY | $78.23–$96.13 | 5 |
| OH | $76.09 | 1 |
| OK | $74.53 | 1 |
| OR | $81.27–$89.15 | 2 |
| PA | $76.35–$85.00 | 2 |
| PR | $82.54 | 1 |
| RI | $84.19 | 1 |
| SC | $76.66 | 1 |
| SD | $81.17 | 1 |
| TN | $75.35 | 1 |
| TX | $75.81–$85.58 | 8 |
| UT | $77.76 | 1 |
| VA | $80.41–$94.51 | 2 |
| VI | $82.54 | 1 |
| VT | $80.68 | 1 |
| WA | $85.29–$97.40 | 2 |
| WI | $78.36 | 1 |
| WV | $73.60 | 1 |
| WY | $81.57 | 1 |
How the 88314 rate is calculated
Each of 88314’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 88314
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.44
0.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.98
1.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.03
0.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.4500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$81.83
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 88314
The CMS indicators that decide how 88314 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 88314
Histochemical stain
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
88314 without 26 · national office
$81.83
Histochemical stain
88314-26 · Professional component
$18.70
Pays only the interpretation and report.
88314 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 88312Special stain
- Use 88312 for a special stain classified in Group I; 88314 is reserved for Group III stains. The stain’s billing code group determines the code.
- 88313Special stain
- Use 88313 for a special stain classified in Group II. Choose 88314 only when the stain belongs to Group III.
- 88342Antibody stain
- 88342 reports an immunohistochemical or immunocytochemical stain using an antibody. 88314 is for a Group III histochemical stain.
88314 billing questions
When should 88314 be selected instead of 88312 or 88313?
Select 88314 when the stain performed belongs to billing code Group III. The stain’s billing code group, rather than the specimen type or the reason for testing alone, distinguishes it from Groups I and II.
Can 88314 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on stain service reported with the related primary pathology service, such as a surgical pathology examination, when that examination and the stain are documented.
What supports reporting 88314?
The record should identify the Group III stain, the specimen or tissue examined, and the clinical or diagnostic question the stain helps address. The pathology report should include the interpretation.
How are the professional and technical components reported?
Use modifier 26 for the pathologist’s interpretation and modifier TC for the technical laboratory work. Report without either modifier when billing the global service.
Is 88314 counted per slide or per stain?
The code is reported for each applicable stain, not simply for each slide or tissue section. Documentation should make the stain performed identifiable.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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